Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

146th Preakness Stakes: NBC's Pimlico Setup Builds on Onsite Derby Production

14/05/2021

146th Preakness Stakes: NBC's Pimlico Setup Builds on Onsite Derby Production Health and safety protocols are eased with changing CDC guidelines By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor

Friday, May 14, 2021 - 2:06 pm

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

After a return to big-time onsite productions at the Kentucky Derby, NBC Sports is at Pimlico this weekend for the second gem in horseracing's Triple Crown. All three of NBC's 2020 Triple Crown races were produced remotely, with the production team located at NBC Sports' production-operations center in Stamford, CT. This year, however, the production team is back at Pimlico, along with Director, Sports Operations, Tim Dekime and Senior Technical Manager John Roch , who were focused on NBC Sunday Night Football during last year's delayed race in October.

Since [the Preakness and Derby took place during] football season last year, John and I couldn't even be here, says Dekime. So [Technical Manager] Keith Kice was able to focus on this while we were focused on NFL, which created some continuity since he knows [Triple Crown productions] well. This year, it's really good to be back and have a full operation onsite again.

Stamford Still in the Mix: Editing and Graphics Operate Remotely NBC Sports' Tim Dekime (left) and John Roch at the Pimlico truck compound for the Preakness

At the Preakness this weekend, NBC's primary production team will once again be housed in NEP ND1 A, B, C, and D mobile production units - as was the case at Churchill Downs. Unlike at the Derby, though, NBCSN's broadcast also will be produced out of ND1 instead of in Stamford.

I think the 2020 [Derby] was a different year altogether, but we learned a lot, says Dekime. This year at the Derby, we did a hybrid [production] of what we did in 2020 and our [traditional onsite] setup that we had done in the past. Our NBCSN broadcasts were produced and directed through Stamford, and our NBC network broadcasts were done onsite with ND1, so we eliminated a TV truck that was dedicated to NBCSN in the past, and those cameras were streamed back to Stamford.

However, with far fewer hours of NBCSN programming for the Preakness than for the Derby, NBC elected to locate all productions onsite in ND1. Although the front bench will be in Baltimore, the bulk of NBC's graphics and editing teams will once again be in Stamford, deploying the same setup as for the Derby.

We have a lot of editing being done back in Stamford, along with our graphics operations, and that worked out really well [for the Derby], says Roch . It's very similar to what we do for Sunday Night Football, so we just basically mirrored that. The only difference with football is, there are a lot more cameras coming from the site. But it has been successful, and I think everybody thought was a good formula [for the Preakness].

According to Roch , NBC has deployed 31 cameras at Pimlico, primarily a mix of Sony HDC-4300's (including four in 6X-slo-mo mode), 2500's, and 1500's plus one HDC-4800 4K high-speed system and one HDC-P1R POV - all with Canon lenses. BSI is also on hand supplying seven RF cameras.

As CDC guidelines continue to evolve, so too do NBC's onsite safety protocols. For example, if on-air talent is vaccinated, they now need to be separated by only 3 ft. - instead of 6 ft.. - on the set or in the announce booth.

We still have very stringent safety protocols, notes Dekime, but, as CDC guidelines are changing, so are ours. We are still [enforcing] mask wearing and social distancing. We also have rented a large catering trailer so people could be separated during meals, as well as additional office trailers so we didn't have our talent and staff crowded together in one small area. Even as [protocols] change, we certainly continue to do a lot to create more space so we can social-distance.

Despite the lessening of social-distancing regulations, NBC's main set will be the same expanded desk used at the Derby, allowing all talent to be separated by 6 ft. Dekime expects the set at the Belmont next month to have a more traditionally sized set.

In order to have a larger depth, we have to [expand everything] from the platforms to the lighting, says Dekime. We have a pretty elaborate lighting truss set up and have heightened the rooftop to account for the larger desk and the lighting.

A Look Back at the Derby: Drone Is Popular with Crew and Viewers The Derby truck compound at Churchill Downs last month

Though not deployed at Pimlico this weekend, the drone that debuted on NBC's Derby coverage was a hit among production personnel and viewers. Provided by Beverly Hills Aerial (which also provided the drone for NBC's outdoor NHL game in Lake Tahoe), the heavy-payload drone featured a Sony HDC-P50 camera and captured shots never before seen in Derby telecasts.

They loved the drone in the production room, and it got some great shots, says Roch . The only limitation was that the battery could last only 10 minutes at a time because we were dealing with a heavy payload. But the shot worked great.

Dekime adds, That's the restriction of having a drone with a heavy payload. But they were extremely happy with the shots that we got, and I would imagine the drone will be a part of our broadcasts to the future.

Whether it's at the Derby, the Preakness, or next month's Belmont, Dekime and Roch are just happy to see some familiar faces in the compound after such a challenging Triple Crown year in 2020.

On the technical side of things, says Roch , it's just good to see a lot of people back to work, and everyone here is so happy be back to work. These are some of the most capable people around, and it's great to be back [onsite] and see them here again.
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2021/05/14/146th-preakness-stakes-nbc-look...
See more stories from svg

North America Stories

12/08/2026

ACLU Requests ABC Station Probe Documents from FCC

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

12/08/2026

Roger Keating To Retire from Hearst Television

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

12/08/2026

Netflix Closes U.S. Upfronts, Nearly Doubles Ad Commitments

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

12/08/2026

CBS Pittsburgh Debuts New AR/VR News Studio

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

12/08/2026

Matthews Intros T-Go Extreme Rigging Solutions

Matthews Studio Equipment introduces T-Go Mounting Solutions extreme camera rigging systems, engineered for the most demanding environments in motion picture pr...

12/08/2026

Anton Bauers EDEN Becomes Only Mobile Power Station in it...

Anton/Bauer, a Videndum brand and the industry leader in mobile power solutions for broadcast and cinematic production, announces that the EDEN Mobile Power Sta...

12/08/2026

TAG Video Systems Cuts Hardware Costs for Customers with...

TAG Video Systems, the global leader in software-based IP monitoring and multiviewer solutions, today announced a memory usage optimization that lowers the tota...

12/08/2026

Unified Streaming Launches Trusted Media - C2PA in Dynami...

Unified Streaming announces Trusted Media, a new solution that enables broadcasters, streaming platforms, and premium content owners to attach verifiable authen...

12/08/2026

Tedial Powers the AI-Driven Media Supply Chain at IBC 202...

Combining intelligent automation, composable business services and user-centric experiences The media industry is entering a new phase where AI intelligence is...

12/08/2026

DPA Microphones Appoints Raul Contreras as West Coast Reg...

DPA Microphones welcomes Raul Contreras as its new West Coast Regional Sales Manager. In this role, Contreras will oversee sales and customer relationships thro...

12/08/2026

Weather is Not a Factor for Marshall Electronics New CV57...

Marshall Electronics' first all-weather, all-IP 4K POV camera, the CV574-WP, makes its European debut at IBC 2026 (Stand 10.C11). Built for the elements, th...

12/08/2026

A double off-switch helps cells respond to stress

LA JOLLA, CA-Scientists at Scripps Research have discovered that two seemingly unrelated cellular enzymes become locked together during times of stress, simulta...

11/08/2026

Apple To Bring Friday Night Baseball Live to Apple Immersive on Vision Pro Beginning Aug. 28

Weekly immersive broadcasts will feature 8K 3D video, a 180-degree field of view...

11/08/2026

Looking for a New Cameraperson? ProductionHUB Guide Lays Out Considerations, Pitfalls

By Briana Brady, Social Media Manager, Production Hub Sports content is having ...

11/08/2026

SVG Sit-Down: Backlight CEO Kathleen Barrett on Building Media Infrastructure for a Global, AI-Driven Sports Landscape

She addresses why media organizations need more than asset storage, how sports t...

11/08/2026

FloSports Dennis LeMire on Implementing Cloud-Based Workflows on Lower Tier Sports

Remote commentary has improved significantly on these broadcasts At a clip of ...

11/08/2026

Miami HEAT's Revamped IP-Based Control Room Coordinates Workflows With Meinberg Intelligent Modular Synchronization System

A pair of LANTIME IMS M2000 PTP Grandmasters deliver resilient timing infrastruc...

11/08/2026

LTN Expands Live Event Master Control Capabilities for Sports Organizations

LTN has announced expanded capabilities for its Live Event Master Control offering, providing sports broadcasters, leagues, rights holders, and content owners w...

11/08/2026

WTA Ventures Appoints IMG as Managed Production Services Partner

WTA Ventures has appointed IMG as its managed production services partner in a multi-year agreement commencing with the 2027 season. The partnership is the late...

11/08/2026

New York Jets and CBS New York Extend Multi-Year Partnership

The New York Jets and CBS New York have agreed to a multi-year extension of their partnership, keeping CBS New York as the official broadcast home of the team. ...

11/08/2026

Nielsen Acquires DoubleVerify to Create New Combined Media Intelligence Platform

Nielsen Holdings and DoubleVerify have announced a definitive agreement under which Nielsen will acquire DoubleVerify in an all-cash transaction with an enterpr...

11/08/2026

AES Elects David v.R. Bowles as President-Elect for 2027, Unveils Other Election Results

The Audio Engineering Society has announced the results of its 2026 Board of Dir...

11/08/2026

SVG Sit-Down Creator Sports Network's Barrick Prince on Building the Next Layer of the Live-Sports Rights Stack

The CSN co-founder details its network and affiliate' model, how creator wi...

11/08/2026

Gravity Media Providing Host Broadcast Operations for Esports World Cup 2026

Gravity Media is providing host broadcast operations for the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026, supporting ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) in delivering the tournament to glo...

11/08/2026

TAG Video Systems Reduces Memory Requirements for Compressed Workflows

TAG Video Systems has released a memory usage optimization for its MCM software that reduces the cost per channel by up to two-thirds for compressed workflows. ...

11/08/2026

SMT Expands LED Production and Scoring Services at 2026 Cincinnati Open

SMT is expanding its technology partnership with the Cincinnati Open this year, adding new LED displays, production capabilities, and fan-facing experiences at ...

11/08/2026

Pac-12 to Stream Fall Olympic Sports Home Events Free on YouTube

The Pac-12 has announced that home Olympic sports broadcasts throughout the fall season will be available free on the conference's YouTube channel at youtub...

11/08/2026

Case Study: Real Life Network Taps LiveU for Broadcast-Grade Streaming

Spreading a message of faith requires both widespread accessibility and uncompromising visual quality. Real Life Network (RLN), a free, faith-based digital stre...

11/08/2026

Tennessee Titans' New Nissan Stadium Will Live Up to Its Music City Location

Taking the synergy of sports and entertainment a step further, the NFL venue in Nashville will house iterations of two iconic music clubs The marriage of Taylo...

11/08/2026

Dolby Acquires VVC Patents From Florida Atlantic University

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

11/08/2026

Alyson Stewart Joins Zixi as Senior Director, Sales

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

11/08/2026

FCC Issues Alert Over Scammers Impersonating Its Commissioners

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

11/08/2026

Comcast, Disney Ink Deal to End NFL Network Blackout

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

11/08/2026

farmerswife and Cirkus are Exhibiting at IBC 2026

farmerswife and Cirkus will return to IBC 2026 to showcase new tools designed to help broadcast, media and post-production teams manage workflows with greater s...

11/08/2026

LiveU Powers Cross-Venue Coverage of Glasgow Commonwealth...

LiveUs LU900Q intelligent production unit played a central role in the host broadcast operation for the Games in Glasgow (July 23 to August 2, 2026). The host b...

11/08/2026

Jigsaw24 Appoints James Morse as Client Director to Drive...

Jigsaw24 has appointed James Morse as Client Director, Media Sales, as it deepens its focus on sports, live events and integrated production. His appointment co...

11/08/2026

Net Insight enables one of Europes largest broadcast grad...

Net Insight today announced that DMC Production Norway has selected its Open Live Media solution to centralize the production of Blinkfestivalen 2026. Combining...

11/08/2026

Vivaro Supports Record World Cup Audiences with the Appea...

Modular HEVC and JPEG XS workflows enabled resilient, ultra-low-latency delivery for leading linear and digital media platforms across all 104 matches Appear A...

11/08/2026

Homecoming Artist Spotlight: Fabiola Mndez

Homecoming Artist Spotlight: Fabiola M ndez The first cuatrista to graduate from Berklee talks about the community that shaped her career ahead of her Homecom...

11/08/2026

FOR-A To Highlight MixBoard, Viztrik AiDi Enhancement At IBC 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

11/08/2026

AMWA and EBU to Host Demos at IBC 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

11/08/2026

Dalet Solution Suites Enable Media Teams to Move Like a S...

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced Dalet Solution Suites, a new portfolio of cloud-native solutions ...

11/08/2026

Mediagenix Helps Broadcasters Prepare for Brazil DTV Futu...

Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitably connect the right content to the right audience, will showcase how media companies can prep...

11/08/2026

NVIDIA AI Factory Compute Is Becoming an Investable Asset Class

We announced partnerships with Apollo, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs and KKR to establish independent financing platforms designed to mobiliz...

11/08/2026

Why Scaling AI Compute Performance Requires a New Power Architecture

Every new generation of accelerated computing demands more from the infrastructure underneath it - more compute performance, higher rack density and more effici...

11/08/2026

NVIDIA Nemotron 3.5 Lightning and NeMo Switchyard Deliver Faster, Smarter, More Efficient Agentic AI

As AI shifts from chatbots to autonomous agents, open models are serving market ...

11/08/2026

NVIDIA and Local AI Community Fuel Open Source Models and Intelligent Agents

The open source ecosystem is making it easier for AI enthusiasts and developers to build, customize and run increasingly capable agents locally. Throughout Au...

10/08/2026

Apple to Bring Friday Night Baseball' Live to Apple Immersive on Vision Pro Beginning Aug. 28

Weekly immersive broadcasts will feature 8K 3D video, a 180-degree field of view...

10/08/2026

Former NAB Tech Exec Tom Keller Has Died

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

10/08/2026

Matthews Bows Monitor Stand III

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...